Gaza Border Residents Confront Political Parties at Pre-Election Conference

A political conference was held on Monday at Kibbutz Nahal Oz near the Gaza border ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. Representatives from various parties presented their platforms regarding regional security, policy toward the Gaza Strip, and strategies for coping with ongoing security challenges. The event took place three years after the October 7 massacre, amid an unresolved war and unfulfilled government promises to dismantle Hamas.

Among the participants were representatives from the "Yashar!" party, Likud, the "Be-Yachad" joint list, Yisrael Beytenu, the "Religious Zionism" party, and others. Michal Uziel, head of the Eshkol Regional Council, opened the conference and stated that a state commission of inquiry must be established, drawing loud applause from the audience.

Public Anger and Coalition Reactions

During the remarks by coalition representatives, angry heckling erupted from residents of the envelope communities. Shouts directed at Minister Orit Strock included accusations of failure and responsibility for the casualties. Conversely, some audience members applauded her statements supporting Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and the emigration of its population.

"The diesel entering the strip today is part of the agreement Israel accepted to secure the hostages. We had to choose between two bad options with heavy prices," Likud representative Ze'ev Elkin told the audience.

Security Strategy and Future Actions

Addressing why Hamas has not yet been fully disarmed, Elkin explained that military actions were previously constrained by the hostage situation. Regarding the continued entry of fuel into the enclave, he defended past cabinet decisions as necessary compromises under difficult circumstances when negotiating hostage releases.